Keep your eyes open: programs for working with multiple monitors. System tray on a second monitor Work and play more efficiently on a computer with multiple monitors
One of my readers had a question about how to connect a second monitor in “clone” mode. To be honest, I didn’t think such a question could arise. But after browsing the forums, I realized that this kind of question is not uncommon.
Some people can’t connect a monitor, some have a modern TV, some can’t play a new game in multiscreen mode (displaying images on multiple screens), etc. So I had a desire to write a more or less detailed description of possible solutions to the problem of connecting a second monitor.
Below I will present 4 options for solving the problem, one of them should suit you.
connecting a second monitor in windows 7
Those of you who have the Windows 7 operating system installed on your computer are most likely the luckiest ones. The developers of this OS studied the most important problematic issues of users and provided fairly effective solutions.
So, if you have windows7 OS installed, do the following:
1. Connect a second monitor to the video card output.
2. Press the key combination “WIN+P” on the keyboard, this picture will appear
3. Select the desired option and enjoy the resulting picture.
connecting a second monitor to a laptop
If you have a mobile laptop, then, as a rule, software developers for it have already taken care of the issue of connecting an external device to output a video signal. It’s not always convenient to work behind a small monitor, and you don’t want to strain your eyes.
To connect an external monitor or TV to a laptop or netbook, you need to use the preinstalled system tools. Most often, a utility from Intel is installed. Look in the lower right corner on the taskbar next to the clock there should be a blue (if not an Intel utility, then a different color) icon.
Right-clicking on it will open the graphics adapter management menu.
Or the second option for calling this panel is to simply click on an empty space on the desktop.
Next, select the “Output to” item -> and in the window that opens, select the option we need. To transmit the same picture as on the main monitor, you must select the “Display Clone” mode (underlined in red).
proprietary utilities from nvidia and radeon
I use this method, and it is suitable for all Windows operating systems. What needs to be done? Yes, just open the “Video Card Control Panel”, the icon of which is usually located near the clock.
If you are the happy owner of a GeForce video card from NVidia, then the icon is green (as in the picture), and if you have an Ati Radeon card, then it is red, with the inscription “Ati” on it.
Double-click on this icon -> go to the “Video Card Control Panel” -> find “Display Manager” in the menu on the left -> then go to the “Install multiple displays” item and set the resolution for each monitor by selecting the image display option.
working with CATALYST Control Center
This method is also universal, but unlike the previous one, it has great capabilities in the field of fine-tuning and adjusting the image to a specific situation and a specific application.
The name of this universal tool for managing the connection of external information output devices is “CATALYST Control Center”.
You can download the latest version from the developer’s official website by selecting the appropriate platform.
Installing the program should not cause you any problems. After launching the program, go to the “Display Manager” item in the left menu.
In this section, you are asked to assign the main and secondary displays, select the desktop resolution and color depth for each of them, and also rotate the image if your monitor supports this mode.
Setting up the desktop of each monitor is carried out using the context menu, called by right-clicking on the image of the corresponding display:
You can choose one of three desktop configurations:
- By default, the found display is connected in extended desktop mode. All programs will open on the main desktop, but you can drag them to the second one with the mouse.
- Cloning simply creates a copy of the desktop on the second display. This is convenient, for example, for organizing training or various presentations. You just need to connect a larger projector or plasma panel.
- A stretched desktop is convenient when using two monitors installed in close proximity to each other. Your desktop completely stretches across both displays, forming a kind of panorama.
Perhaps some of you will say that a second monitor is overkill. But, I assure you that for those who use a computer not only for Internet surfing, but also for work, it creates great convenience and comfort, and also increases productivity (improves ergonomics).
Also, recently, connecting multiple monitors has become popular among computer game lovers. For example, I often connect the TV to the computer so that the whole family can watch online movies from the Internet on the big screen.
By the way, about monitors, here is a picture to cheer you up, called “Milk formula gives 10 health and 10 mana” (don’t forget to comment).
pc4me.ru
How to connect a second, third... tenth monitor to one computer
Today you won’t surprise anyone with a multi-monitor PC configuration. And soon, we can expect that having a single display on a desk will become the exception, not the rule. This is what people say who have had the opportunity to compare the convenience of working at a computer with one and multiple monitors. And the second option, if you believe their words, is much more convenient than the first.
Statisticians share the same opinion. According to their research, if you connect 2 monitors instead of one, the productivity of personnel involved in processing large amounts of information increases by 15-60%. What can we say about gamers, for whom multi-monitor systems are the only opportunity to plunge headlong into the virtual world?
How many monitors can be connected to one computer? Connection conditions
It is unlikely that anyone is able to name the exact number of possible monitor connections to one PC, but 50 or more is definitely possible. It all depends on the budget you are willing to allocate for it. To create video walls from dozens of modules, such as in the photo below, special controllers are used. Their task is not just to display the image on many screens, but also to provide each picture with decent quality.
However, video wall controllers are an extremely expensive solution that not every enterprise can afford. A more affordable option is a video server with several multi-channel video cards. But it can cost the owner several hundred thousand rubles.
The average user, like most of us, does not need such excesses. Home gaming systems usually consist of no more than six monitors, and they can be connected not just to one computer, but to one video card. But in order to achieve the highest possible image quality, it is better to distribute the monitors so that there are no more than two or three per video camera.
Connecting two monitors is supported by almost any modern video card, even one built into the processor (chipset). Three or more - all AMD models, starting with series 5, as well as NVIDIA GTX 600 and newer.
In addition to multi-channel support, the following are important for creating multi-monitor configurations:
- Availability of outputs on video cards that coincide with monitor inputs (the use of adapters is allowed in extreme cases when there is no other way to connect). Moreover, AMD requires a mandatory DisplayPort interface on at least one of the displays (with the exception of certain branded video cards with a built-in DisplayPort-DVI adapter). NVIDIA does not impose such conditions.
- Video driver support for all monitor resolutions.
- Sufficient amount of video memory. 2048 Mb is the conditional minimum for a two- or three-monitor configuration in a non-gaming system. For four or more monitors, especially if you plan to use the computer for games, there should be at least 2 times more memory.
- High data bus bandwidth (from 128 bits) and good memory speed (the more, the better). The narrower the tire, the higher the speed should be.
To connect monitors to different video cards, the latter do not need to be combined into SLI or Crossfire. In some cases, in addition to a discrete card (inserted into the connector), you can use the built-in video if the motherboard BIOS supports it (there is an “Always Enable” option for the built-in video card output). But in such configurations, each pair of displays served by one video chip operates independently of the other. This means that you won't be able to create a common visual space across all screens.
If your computer is equipped with a single video card, you can connect monitors to several of its ports or to one. To connect 2 or more screens to one video card with 1 input, you will need a signal divider - a splitter. For example, as in the photo below. This modification can distribute a signal to 4 monitors, but the picture quality usually decreases (it depends not so much on the splitter as on the video capabilities). If the flow is barely enough for a single screen, dividing it into “rivulets” will reduce the resolution, clarity and scan frequency. And the more connections, the lower the quality.
When you connect a splitter to displays with different resolutions, the picture quality on them will be different: on some it is better, on others it is worse. And you won’t be able to correct it individually, except perhaps through the settings of the monitors themselves.
AMD cards that feature Eyefinity technology (based on the ATI Radeon R800 line of GPUs) allow you to attach up to 6 displays to them and combine them into a single visual space. But here everything is tied to the DisplayPort interface, which, unfortunately, not all devices are equipped with.
The following are acceptable combinations of connection interfaces when building multi-monitor systems using AMD Eyefinity technology:
- To combine 3 monitors into one system, one of them must be connected via DisplayPort or miniDisplayPort (miniDP), the second via DVI, and the third via VGA, HDMI or the same DVI.
- If there are 4 monitors, two devices must be connected to DisplayPort, the third to DVI, and the fourth to VGA or HDMI.
- In a five-monitor system, all 5 or 3 monitors are connected to DisplayPort (miniDisplayPort), one or two to DVI, and one, if any, to HDMI.
- The six-monitor configuration provides a connection via miniDisplayPort only.
NVIDIA Surround/3D Vision multi-monitor support technology allows you to create a shared gaming space from three monitors. However, for this you will need either a dual-processor video card, or combining two or three cards in SLI. You can connect several more displays to the remaining video outputs; they will work independently of the others.
If you do not have the task of building a video wall to display one picture on several screens, it is not necessary to adhere to the rules described above. Monitors can be connected in any configuration through any interfaces, based on 2 devices per 1 video processor. In this case, each of them will display its own desktop, and you can switch between them, drag windows from one desktop to another, etc.
The procedure for connecting and setting up additional monitors in Windows
Physical connection of devices
The process of physically connecting a second, third, etc. monitor to the video card ports is not difficult. Simply insert the connectors of the connecting cables into the sockets of both devices, remembering to first unplug them from the outlet.
When creating a dual-monitor setup, use the same interfaces whenever possible, for example, DisplayPort only or HDMI only, so that the image quality on the two screens does not differ much. If there are no identical ports on your video card, connect via different ones, for example, DVI and HDMI or HDMI and VGA. It is permissible to use adapters from one interface to another only in extreme cases, since signal conversion is always accompanied by losses, sometimes significant. The same goes for splitters. If you can do without them, try to do without them.
After making the connection, turn on the power to the system unit and monitors. Recognition of the latter, as a rule, occurs automatically. All you have to do is customize them to suit your needs.
Connecting a second monitor to laptops is done in the same way as to desktop PCs. The only difference is that the video card that will serve the additional screen is determined by the system, not the user.
Multi-display adapters
If the picture quality on the main and additional displays varies greatly, and also if you need to connect not one, but 2 additional monitors to your laptop, a specialized device - a multi-display adapter - will help out. This is a small box with a processor inside, reminiscent of a multiport splitter, and several cables included. One cable connects the box to the output of the video card, the rest are connected to the monitor inputs. It receives power from a USB port or an external adapter.
An example of such a device is Matrox DualHead2Go Digital SE.
Setting up additional screens in Windows 10 and 8.1 and 7
After the first turn on, the image on the additional monitor, as a rule, duplicates the main one. Sometimes the desktop stretches across 2 screens at once. To select the desired mode, press the key combination windows+P (Latin) - this will open the projection panel.
In windows 10 and 8.1 it looks like this:
In windows 7 - like this:
The Duplicate option (Repeating) plays the same picture on all displays. “Extend” - makes the second screen a continuation of the first.
If the system was unable to automatically recognize the second display, open “Display Settings” through the desktop context menu.
Click the "Discover" button (In Windows 7 - "Find").
If the device is physically functional and connected correctly, the system will most likely recognize it immediately. If not, open the Multiple Displays list and select "Try anyway to connect..." to a monitor that is not detected.
If this does not help, you should check the contacts and, if possible, connect the device with another known-good cable to another video output or another video card.
The “Define” button in the same section allows you to select which of the two displays will be the main (first) and which will be the additional (second, third, etc.).
To change the settings of one of the displays of a multi-monitor system - the size of the displayed elements, brightness level, orientation, resolution, color rendering, etc., click on the rectangle with its serial number in the gray field under the “Customize your screen” heading.
The changes will take effect after saving. You do not need to restart your computer for this.
Additional multi-display configuration settings are available in the NVIDIA and AMD Catalyst Control Panel menus.
Setting up additional screens in Windows XP
To access screen settings in Windows XP, also open the desktop context menu and click “Properties”. Next, go to the “Options” tab.
If the second monitor is correctly recognized, 2 display icons with sequential numbers will appear in the gray field. The “Find” option, as in modern versions of Windows, is not here.
By default, both screens display the same desktop image. If you want to expand it, click on the second display icon and check the “Extend desktop onto this monitor” checkbox.
Setting up each screen individually is done in the same way as in Windows 10: click on the monitor icon on the gray field and set the desired parameters. The “Screen Resolution” and “Color Quality” options are located here, and the rest - scale, adapter properties, etc., is hidden behind the “Advanced” button.
Most of the settings take effect immediately, but some only after the computer is restarted.
CompConfig.ru
Connecting a second monitor (TV). Switching between monitors in windows. +90
Sometimes the question arises of connecting an external monitor, TV or projector to a computer. The reasons for this action can be different: there is not enough workspace on one monitor, there is a desire to watch a video or play on a new large-diagonal TV, or you need to make a presentation by connecting a projector to the computer.
Connecting a second monitor. Connector types
To implement one of the above tasks, or something similar, first, you need to acquire the necessary equipment. To connect a second monitor or TV to a computer, you need a video card with at least two outputs (HDMI, DVI, VGA, etc.). Most modern video cards are equipped with two or three output connectors, so this should not be a problem
Attention! Make all connections to the video card with the computer turned off.
If everything is connected correctly, then immediately after turning on the computer, the image will be shown on both monitors, but after a few seconds, the additional screen will go dark. This is explained by the fact that the video driver controls the output of images, and until it loads, two monitors will work.
Configuring Windows to work with two monitors
Now all that remains is to configure the display on the main and additional monitors. The fact is that the computer defines one monitor as the main one, and the other as an additional one. You can configure dual monitor modes in Windows 7 in the Display Settings window. To do this, click on the Screen resolution link from the desktop context menu 
In this window, you can designate the main monitor and secondary monitor, set the screen resolution, select the display orientation, and also select the display mode on two monitors.
In the settings it is possible to change their roles and places. There are four options for image output when connecting a second monitor (projector, TV):
- Display desktop on 1 only In this case, the image will be displayed only on the main monitor.
- Display desktop only on 2 Option is similar to the previous one, only the image is displayed on an additional monitor.
- Duplicate these screens When this mode is active, the image is duplicated on both monitors.
- Extend these screens When this mode is activated, the taskbar will be displayed only on the main monitor, and the second monitor will expand the boundaries of the first. By default, opened programs will be displayed on the main monitor. They can be easily dragged onto an additional screen by grabbing the window title with the mouse.
Depending on the location of the main and additional monitors, the space can expand in different directions. The relative position of the two monitors can be adjusted by simply dragging the monitor icons in the screen settings window
The Determine button allows you to determine which monitor you are currently on. When you click on it, a large number appears on each monitor, indicating the monitor number in the Windows settings.
It is very convenient to switch image output modes to monitors using the hotkey combination Win + P. When you press win + P, all 4 options for outputting images to monitors are available. Switching between monitors is carried out as follows: press Win + P simultaneously and, without releasing Win, press P until the desired mode is selected
Also, the Win + P hotkey combination may be needed in the following case. You used two monitors, and then removed one of them from the system, and the main one at that. The next time you turn on a computer with one monitor, the screen may be black. This is where you need the Win + P combination to switch the mode.
If you have an ATI video card and when outputting to a TV or projector, the image does not occupy the entire screen, and you see black bars around the edges, then you need to turn off the scaling mode in the Catalyst Control Center video card driver settings by setting the slider to 0. The scaling mode is used in if the resolution of the additional monitor or TV is higher than the main one.
populararno.com
How to use multiple monitors in windows 7
When I work a lot with the computer, a way to increase efficiency and organize myself better tasks is to use multiple monitors for the same computer. In windows 7, adding a second (and third - if you have two VGA ports computer/laptop) monitor can be configured simply in two ways:
- shortest path Keyboard: Use the windows key combination + P (where the windows key is the windows key sign on it)
- Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Display > Change Display Settings (Or just right-click on your desktop > Screen Resolution)
Using the windows + P key combination highlights one desktop Quick Menu of options (which can be accessed from Control Panel > Display > Connect to Projector), namely: Computer only (Use primary monitor only) Duplicate (Shows the same desktop on both monitors) Extend (Extended desktop on two monitors connected) and Projector only (Use only the second monitor), from which you can choose the one most convenient for you (usually, when you connect a second monitor to a laptop, the windows option is automatically selected, duplicates ).
The second method is to configure multiple monitors Screen Resolution. The 1 and 2 numbers displayed on the monitors will help you differentiate between the primary monitor and the secondary monitor when you want to change the settings for them (okay, you can click on the Identify button to ensure they show up correctly).
To set the display mode on multiple monitors use the drop-down following Multiple Screens It contains all the quick menu options displayed by the contextual windows + P.
STEALTH SETTINGS - How to use multiple monitors in Windows 7
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How to connect two monitors to a computer or laptop: setup in Windows
In order to increase productivity when working at a computer, many users decide to connect two monitors to a system unit or laptop. By working on two screens, you can expand the desktop space or, if necessary, duplicate the image from one of them to the other. You can connect two monitors to almost any computer or laptop, but this procedure has a number of nuances, both on Windows 7 and Windows 10, which we will pay attention to in this article.
What you need to connect two monitors to a computer
An external monitor is connected to the system unit or laptop through the output on the video card. To connect two screens, the video card must be able to send a signal through at least two outputs. Almost all video cards released since 2005 have two or more connectors for connecting an external monitor. On laptops, as a rule, there is only one such connector, but in this case the laptop display itself can serve as a second monitor.
Most often, DVI, VGA and HDMI connectors (various versions) are used to connect a monitor. On modern laptop models, a USB Type C or Thunderbolt connector can also be used to transfer information to an external monitor. Due to the obsolescence of VGA technology, the user may encounter a situation where connecting a monitor is impossible due to the lack of a corresponding connector on the video card. In such a situation, adapters will help, for example, HDMI-VGA, which are easy to purchase.
Please note: Your monitor may have multiple ports for connecting to your computer. Before purchasing an adapter, we recommend that you carefully examine all the connectors on the back of the display.
How to set up dual monitors
Most often, when you connect a system unit in the Windows operating system to a monitor, all the necessary settings are performed automatically. Accordingly, immediately after the system boots, both screens will work, and the user will only have to configure the operating mode of the monitors. The following three options are possible for a computer running Windows to work with a monitor:
Managing the operation of two monitors is carried out differently on modern Windows 10 and earlier versions of the operating system. Let's look at how to set up two monitors in different versions of Windows:
Please note that if the image on the monitor appears blurry, you also need to select the correct resolution in the screen settings.
It is worth noting that some video card manufacturers produce their own software that allows you to configure the operation of two monitors on your computer. If you have such software, you can use it to customize the screens; most often it is more functional than the standard settings in Windows.
You get used to good things quickly, and many comfortable things are taken for granted. For example, a system unit with multiple monitors is now not considered a luxury item and an expensive whim. But just seven or eight years ago, not everyone could afford such a configuration. Now, almost any modern video card has several ports for connecting two, three or more devices.
The presence of an additional monitor makes working on a computer more convenient. For anyone who hasn't worked in multi-display mode, it's hard to imagine how much more work can be done with more desktop space. This is not a virtual desktop, but a real screen - it is always in sight. Windows placed on the screen of a second monitor do not disappear from view when you need to work with other applications. Well, as for working with such complex programs as graphic and video editors, there can be no two opinions - additional workspace saves time and spares the user’s vision.
But managing multiple monitors at the same time is not as easy as it might seem to an uninitiated user. Of course, in the standard system settings there are some functions for controlling the content of additional screens. So, for example, you can determine the order in which parts of the desktop are arranged, and you can select the resolution for each of them. But this, by and large, is where the standard Windows capabilities regarding managing the functions of a multi-monitor configuration end. Some additional options for configuring multi-monitor systems can be found in video card drivers, but they may also be missing.
⇡ New features for working with multiple monitors in Windows 8
With the release of Windows 8, which, we recall, is scheduled for release on October 25, owners of multi-monitor systems (according to data collected as part of the Windows Feedback Program, this is 14% of desktop PCs and 5% of laptops) will have more tools at their disposal for customization. In the new operating system, you can set the display of a separate desktop background on each monitor or stretch the desktop background across all monitors. You might even find a new panoramic theme in Windows 8's personalization options.
For the first time, the new operating system will also implement such a popular feature as displaying the taskbar on all connected monitors. Moreover, the way icons are displayed can be flexibly controlled. For example, buttons for running applications may appear:
- only on the taskbar where the window is open;
- on the taskbars of all monitors;
- on the taskbar of the main monitor and on the taskbar where the window is open.
The changes will also affect the way you access interface controls. In Windows 7, the Start menu appears on only one monitor, but in Windows 8, you can display the Start screen, Charms bar, or a panel to switch between running applications from any monitor—corners and edges on all displays will be interactive. It will also be possible to run classic programs on one monitor and Metro-style applications on the other. Finally, the developers promise dragging Metro applications between monitors using the mouse and using hotkeys.
Thus, Windows 8 eliminates all the main shortcomings that related to working with multiple monitors on Windows 7. But while the new system has not yet been released and is not widely used, applications from third-party developers that solve old problems of multi-monitor systems will remain relevant.
The most famous of these programs are Actual Multiple Monitors, DisplayFusion and UltraMon. But all of them are distributed on a commercial basis, and given the improvements in Windows 8, there are unlikely to be many people willing to pay for a license that may be unnecessary after switching to a new OS. So let's take a look at the free apps and see what they can offer Windows 7 users.
⇡ MultiWall 1.0.17
- Developer: Sumeet Patel
- Distribution: free
- Russian interface: yes
This small utility solves one of the main problems of using systems with multiple monitors on Windows 7 - the inability to set different wallpapers for each display. With its help, you can either set separate background images for monitors, or stretch one picture over the entire area of a huge desktop.
MultiWall makes it possible to download wallpaper directly from the program window. They can be processed right there: change the scale, crop, rotate, apply various effects, invert colors. In addition, it supports automatic downloading of wallpapers from a specific site and their automatic change on each monitor at specified intervals.
⇡ Dual Monitor Taskbar 1.21
- Developer:
- Operating system: Windows 7
- Distribution: free
- Russian interface: no
Connecting a second monitor expands the usable desktop area, but not all standard system functions work on the additional screen. For example, certain inconveniences may arise due to the fact that the taskbar remains only on the first screen. It turns out that the space for placing windows increases, and you can operate with a larger number of windows. However, a large number of running applications leads to the fact that there is little space on the taskbar for the placement of buttons for open windows.
The solution to the problem may be Dual Monitor Taskbar. This program creates a second taskbar on an additional monitor. The second taskbar is in many ways similar to the original element. For example, it has a notification area. And if on the additional screen you move the cursor to the button of an open application, you can see the sketch in a pop-up window.
True, unlike the original element of the system interface, the Dual Monitor Taskbar has slightly different capabilities. Firstly, by default the second taskbar works as a continuation of the first. You can launch the Task Manager from the right-click menu.
If you want to work on a second monitor with an exact copy of the taskbar, you can enable a test option to display the Start button on an additional screen. It is worth keeping in mind that this function is extremely unstable. Buttons on the additional taskbar are not grouped. Even the developer himself, just in case, warns in the program settings that this option is at the beta testing stage.
One of the useful features of Dual Monitor Taskbar is setting rules for the placement of application windows. You can specify applications that will be displayed only on the main monitor, and applications that will open on the secondary screen. You can also set a rule for individual applications to open only on the screen on which the cursor is currently located.
You can define rules for the location of application windows either manually, by specifying the window class and title in the settings, or automatically. To automatically determine the program window to which rules are assigned, a special identification tool is used. In order for Dual Monitor Taskbar to “understand” which application the settings are being specified for, you need to drag the target shortcut to the window area of this program.
⇡ Dual Display Mouse Manager 1.1
- Developer:
- Operating system: Windows 7
- Distribution: free
- Russian interface: no
Despite the fact that connecting a second monitor makes the user's work much more comfortable, expanding the desktop has one small drawback. The fact is that when you work with maximized application windows open on the entire “left” screen, at first it is difficult to get used to using the cursor on the “close”, “minimize”, “maximize” buttons. The same problem arises when you need to “grab” the scroll slider, which is located at the edge of the screen. At the same time, the cursor tries to jump out onto the adjacent display every now and then.
The creator of the free Dual Display Mouse Manager utility came up with two original ways to solve this problem. The first option is that when you launch the Dual Display Mouse Manager, the cursor moves unevenly across the screen, with a delay at the border separating the area of the first desktop from the second. As a result, it becomes much easier to hit the desired button or the desired area on the border of two monitors with the cursor.
Another method of cursor control is to cross the border of two screens only if the user holds down the Ctrl key. If this key is not pressed, the cursor will be “locked” on the monitor screen and will not be able to move beyond it.
⇡ Dual Monitor Tools 1.8
- Developer:
- Operating system: Windows 7
- Distribution: free
- Russian interface: no
Dual Monitor Tools is a suite of multi-monitor applications that includes five separate utilities: DisMon, Dual Launcher, DualSnap, Dual Wallpaper and Swap Screen.
Swap Screen is designed to quickly move windows from one monitor to another using hotkeys or a system tray icon. Windows can be moved to a predetermined position, such as the top left corner. You can also define hotkeys for minimizing all windows except the active one, switching between desktops, and maximizing the active window. Using Swap Screen, you can also control the cursor, for example, pin it to the active screen or slow it down at the border between desktops.
Dual Launcher is a solution for quickly launching applications. Using the utility, you can determine in advance on which display a particular program will open. You can also specify the size of the window and its position on the screen. Dual Launcher suggests using a keyword or a custom character set to launch.
Having two or more monitors is convenient, but sometimes they can get in the way. For example, if some games are running. The DisMon utility allows you to turn off additional monitors when running certain programs. This utility does not yet have any settings, and turning off monitors works until DisMon is closed.
Dual Snap can also be useful for gamers, although there are certainly other uses for this program. The utility captures the screen and, after pressing the specified key combination, displays the screenshot on the second monitor. Thanks to this, you can, for example, keep before your eyes a map of goals in the game or a list of player capabilities. Dual Snap can also save screenshots as PNG files or copy them to the clipboard.
Dual Wallpaper is designed to manage wallpaper on two monitors. The program stretches the background image across two desktops or makes it possible to set a separate image on each monitor. In this case, you can separately control the position of each image, scale it and move it around the screen.
⇡ GridMove 1.19.60
- Developer: DonationCoder.com
- Operating system: Windows 7
- Distribution: free
- Russian interface: no
The main purpose of GridMove is to manage a large number of windows and intuitively place them on the screen according to a predefined pattern. The program makes it possible to quickly resize a group of windows, fill the entire screen space with open windows, and dock individual windows on top of all windows.
The user can divide the screen into separate areas and create a grid in which newly opened windows will then be placed. GridMove supports hotkeys, so you can organize a large number of windows by pressing a single keyboard shortcut.
Among the preset grid templates is a Dual Screen option that can be used to arrange windows on two screens. Or you can create your own window layout that will take into account the specifics of your existing configuration - whether it has two, three or more monitors. Variables of the form , , etc. are used to create templates. And if you accidentally activate a template created for multi-monitor systems on a single-monitor configuration, the program will still process it correctly. That is, it will simply ignore the part that is responsible for working with the second and subsequent displays.
⇡ SoftTH v2.08b
- Developer: Keijo "Kegetys" Ruotsalainen
- Operating system: Windows 7
- Distribution: free
- Russian interface: no
Systems with multiple monitors are convenient not only for work, but also for games. You can verify this by installing the SoftTH program. It stretches the gaming space across three monitors without the need for additional hardware.
The program works with Direct3D 8 and 9 games (a full list of games that are definitely supported is published on the official website). To use it, you need to connect three monitors to your computer. Moreover, since only one graphics adapter is used for visualization, the second video card can be of low end class, it is only enough that it supports Direct3D technology.
⇡ Conclusion
The display is one of the few parts that is outdated and still suitable for use in work. So even if you don't have an additional monitor right now, don't worry. After all, sooner or later you will come to the idea of an upgrade, and when it happens, the old monitor will not be superfluous at all. All that remains is to re-read this article and, having installed the appropriate programs, take advantage of all the benefits of a large desktop.
Who tried to work in Windows 8 on a regular computer, not on a tablet and without a touchscreen? I tried. I deployed it on a virtual machine and honestly tried to live with it. I thought I’d take an upgrade to Windows 8 on sale for $40 while they were still offering it. But based on the testing results, I didn’t take it even at such a bargain price. You can't live with this nightmare.
I assume that Windows 8 will have its place on tablets, especially on transformers (a laptop with a removable tablet screen). I can’t confirm anything, I haven’t tried it myself. Also, probably, the eight will be interesting on a computer with a touchscreen, although personally I don’t see any interest in a touchscreen worker computer with any operating system. What's so fun about holding your arms up? But what I am quite sure of is that the new interface (which was once called Metro) is completely unsuitable for a regular work computer. For example, here a small overview of the new interface, not particularly abusive (caution, ).
People have already caught up, and there are many ways to cut out a new interface from Windows 8 so that it does not interfere with work. So to speak, make a seven out of an eight. But why do I need all this gambling if I already have a seven? For the sake of new features that are not in the seven? There are not very many of them, and they are not critical. So I'm sticking with Windows 7. Maybe Microsoft will work out the bugs and the next version will be worth upgrading to. Anything is possible, although personally I have little faith in it. Well, it will be nice if I turn out to be a pessimist...
Let me get from the lyrics to the point: there is one feature that is present in Windows 8, but not in Windows 7, and which I personally really miss. Seven supports multiple monitors, but the taskbar is displayed only on the main monitor. Eight can show the taskbar on all monitors, and window buttons will be on the same monitors as the windows themselves. It's MUCH more convenient. To be honest, I never even thought about this option; I was used to the “wrong” one. This is the inertia of thinking. But as soon as I saw it, I immediately wanted it for myself. I cast a net on the Internet and found several commercial programs and one free one. I stopped at the last one: . Not without some rough edges (which is natural in this case), but overall it works great. In addition to the main purpose, it can also duplicate the tray on a second monitor (tray, notifications area - icons near the clock). It can also automatically transfer windows to the second monitor - this is very valuable. The limitation is that it only supports one additional monitor. For me personally, this is not a problem, I have two of them and it’s worth it.
I installed this program, configured it, and now I have no desire to switch to Windows 8 at all.
Upd. Recently the program was updated, and now Dual Monitor Taskbar supports more than two monitors.
